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Late on Thursday night after the Blue Jays game had been over by hours, after Melky Cabrera had had his worst game of the year, the Jays placed the 28-year-old left fielder on the disabled list and brought up shortstop Munenori Kawasaki, 33, who had just been shipped to Triple-A on Tuesday. The fact that Kawasaki is back has pleased a lot of fans and in fact a lot of players in the Jays’ clubhouse. So, on to the Mailbag.

Q. Hi Rich.

Odd question. Obviously (Jays’ pitching coach) Pete Walker and (Jays’ bullpen coach) Pat Hentgen are both former major league pitchers. Do you know if either of them have fiddled around with trying to throw a knuckleball, just to try and get a feel for what it’s like? You would think it might help them in terms of coaching if they at least learned the basic mechanics of it, and of course boys being boys, former athletes themselves, etc. they might want to just try it out and have a little play fun with it.

Ken, Toronto.

A. I guarantee from personal experience that every major-leaguer, every position player, every pitcher from the age of 15 and up that I have ever known has thrown his own version of the knuckleball and, as you have suggested, had “a little fun with it.” So it’s obvious, with that background knowledge, to suggest that both Hentgen and Walker have at least experimented with the knuckler when they were still playing. However, that does not mean they took it seriously as a pitch in a real game.

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I recall Hentgen, as he was losing his high heat later in his Jays career, was being coached by Galen Cisco trying to convince him to become a finesse guy, at least in small part. Pat was having none of it. For a column, at the time, I talked to Dwight Gooden, then with the Indians, about the humility he had to gain to accept a changeover to finesse when he lost his own mojo after a Hall-of-Fame start to his career. It was a great commentary regarding the difficulties of swallowing pride. So, in answer to your query, it would not be easy for any pitcher that was a fireballer to become a knuckleballer. But, I also remember guys like Tommy Hutton, a first-baseman, now a Marlins broadcaster and Tim Wallach, a third baseman, now a Dodgers’ coach, both appearing in blowout games in relief and both mixing in the knuckler. It is tough to throw consistently enough wherein you don’t just hang one of every four out of the plate that screams “Hit me!” But non-pitchers do enjoy dabbling.

Q. Hi Richard:

I’m sure I’m joining a chorus here, but it feels like the Jays made the wrong move by optioning Kawasaki. Team chemistry was so hard to come by early on, why mess with it now that’s it’s working? What makes sense on paper doesn’t always make sense on the field, in the dugout, or the aisle/dance floor of the team jet.

Matthew McKean, Ottawa

A. He’s back, baby, and so is whatever mojo he brings with him. Melky on the DL, Mune replaces.

Q. Hey Griff,

My question revolves around the jays and their inability to play consistently at the Trop in Tampa. It doesn’t really make sense to me as to why they struggle so much here. I recognize that Tampa is a very good team, but we can’t seem to beat them in their home even though the conditions are relatively similar to ours: Closed dome/park, turf field, up until this year small numbers of fans. Can you please shed some light on why they struggle and what they need to adjust to do better?

Thanks,

Jeff

A. Several theories, none of which can be proven. Many of the Jays players have homes in the Tampa Bay area, meaning it’s like playing at home — only not. They have friends and distractions that do not involve their own 25-man roster. The Rays’ visiting clubhouse at the Trop is a constant revolving door of injured players, former players, kids of teammates, relatives and the like with myriad people talking to them on the field during batting practice and preparation. I’m old school.

Q. Hi!

A few weeks back you totally called it when you commented that the team was playing as a collection of individuals, not as a team. Not long after that you called it again when you commented that all the players needed to turn them into a team was a good winning streak.

The more these guys win, the more they look like they are a cohesive, got-each-other’s-back kind of team. But my question is, how do AA and the coaches fit Reyes back into this mix without destroying the team spirit that has finally crept into the BJays’ game? How do they delete the infectious and fan-favourite Kawasaki from the line-up without upsetting the whole team?

Thanks for all the great work!

Tim

A. Perhaps they also came to that same conclusion Thursday night when they decided to DL Melky Cabrera after he had played in all 78 games thus far and bring up Kawasaki even though he is still an extra infielder in the big picture. Gose could have been the guy, but instead it’s the popular Japanese middle infielder.

Q. Hi Richard,

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems with Adam Lind’s resurgence as a hitter has come increased time in the field at first base. Has this been the case and is there any reason for this other than rewarding his success at the plate? Going forward, who do you think is a better defensive first baseman, Lind or Encarnacion? I have no problems with Edwin but I’ve always been biased towards a left hander at first base as they are in a better position to throw to second should the situation arise.

Also, with the Jays needing to make a roster move to make room for Reyes, has there been any thought to putting Cabrera on the DL? He’s been hitting okay but his mobility clearly isn’t great. Wouldn’t it make more sense to give him 2 weeks off to get his hamstrings healthy and just go with Davis and Bonifacio in left field for a bit?

Thanks,

Andrew

A. This letter came in last Monday, so that’s a nice call on Melky and the DL. As for Lind’s time at first base, yes, he has had more of a good look there ever since he asserted himself as an everyday player. The fact is that Lind is hitting .336 with nine homers in 33 games as a DH, but just .293 with two homers and six RBIs as a DH. But check out this stat: As a DH Lind has had 16 walks in 100 plate appearances. As a first baseman, he has had just six walks in 135 appearances. Could it be that during the game as DH he has more opportunity to watch the opposing pitcher work? Or is it just an aberration? As for who is the better first-baseman, it’s clearly Encarnacion. He is more athletic, righthanded or not.

Q. Richard:

You are a strong observer of the Jays. How can you overlook Casey Janssen? Cecil is a good story, but where would the Jays be without Janssen? He has been nearly PERFECT, 16 of 17 only 3 walks, and in April there were precious few opportunities for a save. He is as good a closer as anyone in the game right now. And NO team competes without a good one.

p.s. EE far more deserving than Bautista who I fear has become addicted to trying to hit home runs and has left a lot of valuable runs sitting on the bases including would-be game winners.

Would take EE up there with game on the line any time.

Michael Rosset

A. I am not overlooking Casey Janssen. The column I wrote was regarding who had the best chance to make the AL all-star team and Janssen to my mind has no chance because of the number of dominant closers ahead of him. Johnson, Rivera, Nathan, Reed and Perkins all have more than 19 saves. Casey, as good as he has been, has no chance. Cecil, on the other hand, is right up there with other middle relievers in terms of streak and performance. As far as EE and Bats, I agree Edwin deserves ot more.

Q. Hi Richard,

I don’t want to sound like a total, naive rube, but can’t we still entertain the notion of the Jays contending? Why not? Baseball history is full of dramatic comebacks and the season is far from over.

It would help for one of our division rival to tank a little, but several times this season you’ve mentioned how the Jays need to start stringing some series wins together. That’s seemingly begun happening. What is the emotional rollercoaster for a team in this kind of situation? Earlier, beset by injuries, underperforming at the plate, and poor defense made them seem adrift.

Were there key things that shook off that lethargy? Did the injection of a player (and a personality) such as Kawasaki lighten the atmosphere enough that bats weren’t clenched as hard and players relaxed into confident and more consistent play? His inevitable exit this week was remarkable for the sincere regret it engendered in the team and the fans. What emotional arc we’re seeing this season? Are our guys a team? They’re looking more like than they did a couple months ago.

Always love your work. Thanks!

John Massier

Buffalo, NY

A. Baseball history is full of dramatic comebacks and there’s nothing I hate more when stats guys proclaim: “Such and such a team needs to go blank and blank and play .700 from this point to win blank number of games.” The division rival that is going to tank is the Yankees, because no longer at the deadline are they going to be loading up with expiring or unwanted contracts.

That 11-game winning streak was great, but as you point out, I’ve been suggesting all year that they need two streaks of eight or more wins to really contend. I still believe that. As for shaking off the team lethargy, the first thing that worked for the Jays was the bullpen, the second was the improved defence, the third was the resultant starting pitching looking better all the time and fourth was the cult of one, worshipping at the altar of Kawasaki. But there is no truth to the Kawasaki presence lightening the atmosphere to the point that guys are relaxing because they’re not clenching as hard because of Kawasaki. The next time Kawasaki is sent down will likely be whenever Lawrie is promoted.

Q. Hey Rich,

In your opinion, has Ricky Romero pitched his last game in a Blue Jays uniform? As his struggles at Triple-A continue, at what point might the Jays or Ricky try relieving a la Brett Cecil as a potential career saving move before it all blows up in millions of dollars of smoke?

Dave, Toronto

A. I don’t believe at this point that Romero has necessarily pitched his last game for the Jays, although he is certainly royally peeved at AA and his Jays’ front office team that tried to change everything he knew about pitching and smugly brought him back to the majors only to be crushed by two opponents with his new delivery and mechanics. There is no way that Romero tries to become a reliever because, first of all, he struggles against lefthanders and second of all struggles first getting into games.

At games televised from Tampa Bay, the centre field camera angle is from directly behind the pitcher’s mound, which gives a great view of pitches so viewers can see if they are on or off the plate, can Sportsnet offer this viewing angle at Rogers Centre? Any reason they wouldn’t want to? Can you suggest it to the powers that be? FYI I thought the angle they were using early in the season from behind the plate with runners on base was great.

Also, on promotions like Hat Day, this season on July 1st, why do the club and its sponsors routinely only offer items to the first 20,000 fans? It just seems really cheap not to get 45,000 hats. The club knows that they are going to sell out and that 45,000 people will be at the game. The hats are basically $1 per hat from a factory in China, so for the Jays and sponsors to not spend another $25,000 is just weak. If the sponsor is too cheap then the Jays should pitch (J) in more or seek out other partners.

Thanks,

Rob Landau

A. First point. Most stadia have the centre field camera slightly off to the left field side which explains why sometimes so many pitches look like balls when you’re sitting at home. I’m thinking that Tampa can do it because the camera position may be higher and thus the dead-centre field camera is thus out of the batter’s sightlines.

On the second point, I agree that if you’re going to give something away at the ballpark, that 20,000 of anything is not enough, especially if you’re priding yourself on an attendance boost.

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